St. Patrick's Day Nails!

It's been a while since I have done a nail post, so I thought I'd share!

For Christmas this past year, I got the Wicked collection from Deborah Lippmann and Sephora from my lovely friend, Jill.   Here's a grainy cell phone picture of it, for your enjoyment:

I started my nails with the Green (in the middle of the photo) as I thought it was very Irish-looking (like most things in any shade of green on March 17th).  It's called "Defying Gravity - Elphaba's unlimited green".  I  quite like this colour on it's own for an every day nail.  I wanted to make it pop with just a small brush of gold on each nail - Rags to Rhinestones by OPI. The accent nail was a whole lot of gold. It's made up of "Rags to Rhinestones" over top of "Self-Maid Millionaire" from the Cinderella/Sephora by OPI collection with just a touch of green in between - "One Short Day - positively perfect emerald" (from the wicked collection, on the right, above).

 

Here is the final result!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Erin Go Bragh!

My Bullying Experience - Pink Shirt Day 2014

Today is Pink Shirt Day in BC.  It's a day where people wear pink to show their support of a putting a stop to Bullying.  Whether you are wearing pink or not.  Be part of the solution.

 This is going to be my song of the day.  The message is strong and it's a fantastic song about acceptance.  Everyone should be accepted for who they are.

Whether they realize it or not, I think everyone has been bullied at some point or another.  For me personally, I've always had very high self esteem and kept my head held high, but that doesn't mean it hasn't affected me. 

The last time the Winter Olympics came, Vancouver 2010, I was stoked.  I lived in a suburban municipality not far from Van and wanted to be a part of it.   The streets were alive, everyone was patriotic, and the whole world was watching.  The spectacle and spirit of the games is something everyone should get to experience.  In my heightened state of patriotism, I decided to make a parody video to show my support for Canada's Hockey Team.

That was 20 year old me, all full of pluck and Miley Cyrus vocals, ready to share my song with the internet. 

I wrote this song, recorded it at my broadcasting school and made the video with my friends.  I had an amazing time putting it all together, and there were a ton of laughs along the way.  Then the video was posted and not a day later, the trolls came knocking. 

This was the first video I'd ever created and "starred" in.  It takes a lot to actually put yourself out there online, and every view feels like a victory, while every nasty comment jabs you in the gut.   If you watch the video now, you'll notice that comments have been disabled and it's got over 5000 views.  This was my way of shutting down the trolls.  They can keep their nasty words to themselves.  I'm not super model thin and I don't wear a lot of make-up.  To some people online, that means I shouldn't be singing or writing or living my life at all.   That's just wrong.

For the duration of those Olympics, I got comment after nasty comment on my weight, my looks, and the every minute detail of the video that was "wrong" in some commenter's opinion.  Some of them got quite creative in their phrasing, and some of it was downright dark and twisted.  You know what?  It hurt.  It's not nice to hear or read that you're not perfect, especially when someone's taken time out of their day to say so publicly.  For a few days I was quite upset.  Not one of those negative comments had anything to do with the video itself.  They were all shots at me, and shots at Canada by some angry Americans. You really have to consider the source.   There are some people who have issues in their own lives they don't want to face, so they take it out on everyone else and try to tear others down.  It's up to each and every person to be kind.  It's the only way to stop that cycle.  Also, Canada winning helped stop the trash talk from USA Hockey Fans.  I didn't get a single comment about sport after the gold medal game.

Funny how that works, eh?

At first I removed the notifications from my email saying there were new comments, but I kept going to back to the video and seeing them.  After a while, I just disabled them all together and felt my little corner of the internet get a little bit brighter.

I removed the comments on my video, but there's no disable button in real life.  Just remember that you're amazing.  If you think you're beautiful, incredible and talented, it will show.  Everyone else will start to think it too.  The people who love you, probably already think so.  I couldn't have shaken this off without the kindness of my friends and family.  They loved the video, I loved the video and that's all that matters.

If you are the bully, and we've all said some nasty things, do your best to stop.  Really think about what you're saying and how it might affect who you're saying it to/about.  Also think about why you're saying it in the first place.  Cyber bullying is a huge issue for teens/kids, and it IS bullying.  What you say online has an offline effect.  Police yourself on all mediums.

To everyone, don't ever let the trolls stop you from doing what you love or being who you are.  No one can bring you down if you don't let them.  If you're feeling low, find someone you love and trust to talk to.  It will make a world of difference.

Pompeii - Movie Review

I'm just going to leave this here.

Let's just say, this is what I want for Christmas and to keep forever and always.  

Aside from that... this is the most fun I've had waiting for people to die in a movie.  I know that sounds weird, but it's not like people don't know the general story of Pompeii (and if you don't... REALLY?!).

This is a love story, but the thing I liked about it was that it wasn't the main focus of the movie, it was more subtle and you knew it was there, even if it was cheesy.  More than anything, it was an action movie through and through.  A serious revenge fantasy, sword fights, "lunchroom" brawls, armies and lots of fire - all the ingredients you need for some campy action-packed fun!

Jon Snow... err... Milo's character is a young child at the start who sees his family slaughtered.  It's a gut-wrenching and brutally well done scene.   The thought of revenge fuels a lot of what happens throughout the movie and really makes certain deaths REALLY satisfying.   Like this guy's:

And This guy's:

Another side plot that blooms is the friendship between Milo, The Celt, and Atticus, the proven gladiator.  They led very parallel lives before ending up slaves to be killed in a bloody arena battle.  Luckily, since they're both such skilled fighters, that's not how it went down.  Atticus' end - though sad, what sweet in what it represented and how he still got to fight for his freedom.

totez adorbs BFFLs - literally for life.

For once, I didn't feel like the 3D was over-powering in the action setting.  With Lava flying and things on fire everywhere, I couldn't imagine it done any differently.  There was a whole lot of fighting, a whole lot of running, and a whole lot of horse whispering(Milo's people do this, apparently).  There was also a whole lot of this too:

His pout game was on point.

The ending was super duper cheesy, in my opinion.  You've been warned.  Honestly, it's exactly how I thought it would end. It would have been way less believable if the heroes magically got away.  But seriously, come on...

Never let go, Jack.... wait a sec.....

Overall, it's a movie I would recommend.  It really is the most fun I've ever had waiting for the world to end.  The action was good, the acting was good, and I even enjoyed the story.

My big disappointment was when the credits rolled and this didn't immediately start playing:

I listened to it while walking home from the theatre, so it's fine.  But HOW CAN THEY NOT BE CONNECTED? /rant.

More Jon Snow in my life, please.

My First Medi-Facial

If you need to relax and you've never had a real facial, get one.  Seriously, it's life-changing.

Today, for the first time ever, I had a real facial.   It was a "Medi-Facial" from Penticton Laser and Skin Clinic.  

There was a whole lot more to it than I expected.  The medi-facial was a full hour long and was quite a process.  The nice thing about the process is that I didn't have to do anything but just lie back and relax while Deanne took care of the rest.

I tried really hard not to fall asleep while listening to a smooth-jazz, piano version of "Happy Together" and lying down under a blanket. Luckily, I stayed awake. First things first, my makeup was removed then it was time to begin!

Here are the steps of a medi-facial:

1. Cleanse - Deanne used a two step cleanser to clean the skin.
2. Tone
3. Exfoliate - This was two steps: a manual exfoliant with jojoba beads (I learned this is not pronounced with j's but with h's. Weird.). This was followed by an enzyme peeling mask.
4. Extracts/Concentrates/Serums are then applied to the skin for your specific skincare needs with little brushes.   It's like your face is being painted, and it was hard not to giggle (seriously ticklish).
5.This is followed by a vitamin mask

I swear I'm not normally this pale...

6. Alga Base Mask - This was much thicker, kind of looked like some slime from Ghostbusters and peeled off all in one piece. 

Just like the movies!  All that's missing is cucumbers. 

7. Moisturizer - to lock it all in
8. Makeup - After everything was done, Deanne dusted on a light layer of Jane Iredale Mineral Makeup and sealed it with a hydrating spray.

In between some of the steps, there was also pressure point massage. This included a scalp massage like you'd get at the salon (just without the hair-wash) and it was truly calming.  A part of the process was also an arm and shoulder massage.  It's truly peaceful and you're bound to drift off a bit.  After all the steps, I didn't want to get up.  I could have lied there forever. 

Here's the before and after:

Before

After

 Overall, it was a super relaxing experience and the atmosphere was perfect and rejuvenating.  My skin definitely looks and feels more hydrated, and Deanna gave me some great skin care tips going forward.  Personally, I need to start exfoliating regularly (at least once a week) and keep drinking lots of water.  Those are two tips anyone can use to keep their skin clear. 

Here's the arsenal that was used.

Though it was a lengthy process, it was definitely worth it.  You can check out their website for details.  They recommend a series of 6 Medi-Facials, one facial 1-2 times per week if you have specific concerns or just for maintenance of skin health, have one every 4 -6 weeks.

I might just be hooked.  You can go to www.laserandskin.ca for more info!

If you are a Sun Worshipper (a fan of 97.1 Sun FM) you can enter to win 6 facials at www.sunonline.ca ! 

Bogner's of Penticton - A Taste Test

I'm going to preface this by saying one thing - I'm not fancy, and I'm not a foodie. That being said, I love good food and drink - which is exactly what I got at Bogner's of Penticton last night. As a part of the Sun FM/EZ Rock team, I was invited to try out what the menu had to offer and now I'd like to share!

The outside of Bogner's is a bit sneaky when you drive up.  It's set inside an old Doctor's house from 1905, which quite frankly, is pretty unusual but adds to the overall ambience.  If you don't know you're looking for a house, you might miss it, even with the signage. As far as location, it's just outside Downtown Penticton and easy to get to.


When would you go to Bogner's? Any time you want a nice night out.  The restaurant is set up to encourage conversation with it's low, smooth dinner music, dimmed lighting, and linen-clad tables.   The decor is beautiful with chandeliers that play well off the support columns and wide, framed windows.   You can tell a lot was put in to creating an elegant dining environment that feels comfortable. 

A really great part of living in the Okanagan is the fresh fruit and veggies that grow in our backyard.  The climate here is perfect for all kinds of growing, which is why this is "Wine Country" as well as the home to many fruit growers.  Chef Darin Paterson actually pointed out to us some of the spots where herbs and veggies are grown right outside the doors of the restaurant, and told us about their farm that supplies a lot of what's on the menu! Chef Darin and his team are very passionate about keeping it local as he expressed to us throughout the night while explaining the different food items.  They grow their own veggies and raise their own chickens.  In 2014, it's nice to know where your food is coming from (and that it's not processed).

  Liquids: 

Any time I sit down at a table and am brought a drink I've never tried before, I know I'm going to enjoy my restaurant experience.  Cue the Pineapple-Sage Mojito.  It was sweet, a little sour and a truly unique flavour.  It's made with "patio grown Pineapple-Sage, White Rum, Pineapple-Sage infused Sugar, & Lime".  A drink that's delicious and dangerous.  And of course, it wouldn't be a dinner in the Okanagan Valley without wine.  We were offered some choices from River Stone Estate Winery in Oliver.  I personally tried the Pinot Gris and it was lovely. Fruity, but not too sweet and it paired quite well with the food!

Appetizing Appetizers:

There were all kinds of appys brought out and shared among the table.  If there's one thing you never do in radio (or ever, really), it's turn down food! Some of the items were simple choices that anyone would love, like freshly made flat bread and Classic Wedge Caesar Salad (with the biggest, freshest pieces of romaine I've ever seen!). The rest of the options were inspired by the season and what the team had on hand when creating the menu.  There were vegetarian options like the Organic Curried Zucchini Squash Spring Roll with Japanese Plum Sweet and Sour Sauce or the Asian Crispy Pumpkin Fritters with Sour Ranch Dressing and House Fermented Pear Hot Sauce.   I, myself am a carnivore.  While some of my co-workers enjoyed Warm Shrimp Dip Brie or Snails with Sun Dried Tomatoes and Capers done up with Chardonnay and herbs, I had something very interesting placed down in front of me.  House Duck Sausage Ravioli with sage butternut walnuts and roasted mushrooms.  I've only had duck maybe twice in my life before this, but I've eaten a lot of ravioli (pasta fiend, right here) and this was by far my favourite, maybe ever.   

After a little more wine and conversation, it was time for the main event. 

Entrees:

A few different meals were brought out for the table and randomly placed in front of each of us.   There's no better way to explore new food than to have the chef "order" for you (and I'm normally a pretty picky eater, so there was some risk here). If there is one thing you can always get from proper dining, it's an excuse to use a fake french accent. To the left of me, was a Châteaubriand à la Forestière, which is roasted tenderloin of beef with made to order béarnaise sauce and a potato croquette with forest mushroom sauce.  It looked like this: 

Thanks to Karen for taking a photo of her meal, I have never insta-food-grammed in my life and I didn't think to take pictures!

Across from me, was the Slow Braised Organic Chicken Cacciatore with garlic potato rösti, carrots and mushrooms.  It smelled heavenly.  Some of the other meals down the table included Parchment Roasted Arctic Char with shaved fennel and preserved lemon pan roasted potatoes, and a Local Okanagan Rack of Lamb with herb Mashed Potatoes, reduced lamb demi and veggies.  

I ended up with a Bacon Wrapped Halibut Steak with grilled mushrooms, maple glaze and french fries.  You read that right - BACON WRAPPED.  We all know maple and bacon go well together, but I was surprised at how well it paired with the Halibut Steak.  Personally, I've never been big on any kind of seafood, just eating the odd bit of tuna or salmon, but this halibut was done up well.  The maple and bacon flavouring really soaked in to the steak and gave it a savory flavour (because: bacon, as the internet would say).  Trust me, me finishing an entire halibut steak is a feat for any chef up against my picky, ocean-opposing taste buds (you win this round, Darin!).  Plus, I had the only plate with french fries, it's like they knew my weakness for deep fried potatoes.   I also tried a bite of the mushrooms, the flavour seemed alright, but I've never liked the texture of mushrooms and couldn't get past it(picky eater problems).   Overall, my main course was not something I'd have picked off a menu, but something I ended up truly relishing! 


Coffee & Dessert:

After dinner, I think we all needed a few minutes to breathe, digest, and digest some more.  As a part of dessert, the coffee orders were taken, and I was impressed with the options at Bogner's.  While most restaurants offer coffee, not all offer espresso-based drinks like cappuccinos and lattes.  Being the caffeine addict that I am, I opted for the cappuccino.  As a certified coffee connoisseur (I swear I'm telling the truth here as long as connoisseur really means barista/addict.), I was happy to receive a cappuccino with the perfect amount of foam, good quality espresso and a sprinkle of cinnamon.  I even managed to avoid giving myself a foam mustache in public, so obviously I'm a real grownup.  Dessert for me was a made-in-house Raspberry/Strawberry ice cream, Orchard Coffee Cake, berries and Chocolate truffles.  Was I in heaven? Yes.  Did I ever want to leave? No.  The ice cream made by Chef Darin's team blew me away.  It was sweet, tart and you could tell the flavour came from actual berries.  So.Good.   Around the table, there was also some Cherry Apple Cobbler that looked and smelled fantastic, as well as the always popular Creme Brulee.  


At the end of the day (literally, it was like 9pm when we left), Bogner's was truly a great experience.  We spent almost 3 hours enjoying food and conversation, and time really flew by! If you want to have a divine girls night, or a special date night - this would be my pick for where to go.

If you're worried about price, they've got some great deals on right now with complete meals for $25 or $35.  Plus there's a Groupon right now.

Sun listeners can go to www.sunonline.ca where Bogner's is the Restaurant of the Month and you could win a GC to try it out! 

The full menu is at www.bogners.ca

Thanks for reading (and sorry if I made you hungry)!

American Hustle Review

 It's been out for a while now, and I finally got to see American Hustle last night.   When I initially saw the trailer for this movie, I was a little foggy on the plot, but definitely excited for the cast.  I mean, seriously, another movie with Bradley Cooper and JLaw?  Awesome.  Then they add in Amy Adams, one of my favourite actresses working today,  Christian Bale, who I hope needs to introduction at this point, Jeremy Renner who's proven himself charismatic time and time again AND LOUIS FREAKIN' C.K.!   Yes, excitement was the word. 

Flash forward to last night.  Big comfy theatre seats, a wacked out thermostat (seriously, is that an issue in EVERY movie theatre?) and a couple solid trailers, then we're good to go.

From the beginning, I couldn't stop giggling.  Seriously, this hair style does not come easy:

He worked really hard to make it look like this.

As far as opening scenes go, a guy gluing a really sad hair piece under his really elaborate comb over was ridiculous in the best way.  It really sets the tone for the comedy aspect of the movie and lets you peer in to the character's carefully put together, very anxious world. 

As far as con men go, Irving Rosenfeld is small time, but he's smart about his plays.  Of course, things get complicated when love is involved.  He meets Sydney (Amy Adams) at a pool party held by some kind of deli king (I assume these people exist still?) and falls instantly in love as they connect over some good jazz.  That wasn't even a euphemism for anything.  The hitch? He's hitched and has an adopted son.

Naturally,  Syd's cool with that (or at least puts up with it in the beginning) and even agrees to join him in the con game as a Brit with "banking connections in London", Lady Edith Greensley.  The accent's a little off sometimes (as I'm sure it would be if someone from middle america were trying to pose as royalty) and I'm pretty sure a lady of royalty would own a bra.  The character within the character is a little over the top, which makes it so much better when everyone believes her.  As a team, they get an A+ for being so classy while selling stolen art ("Don't show that to your Spanish friends") and for convincing low-lifes in trouble that they'll try and get them a loan, for a non-refundable fee of course.  It's the loan con that lands them in trouble with Richie DiMaso, FBI.

Also particularly concerned with his hairstyle

To try and find success at the bureau, Richie enlists the dream team to help him snatch other con artists, which is the plan that keeps growing as he realizes just how deep the con game goes. The entangled relationships are a big part of what make this movie tick.   Everyone is thick as thieves (probably because they are thieves).  You go through one con man to find another, who gets you involved with a small time, beloved Mayor with a heart of gold(Jeremy Renner), who connects you to congressman and senators and somehow the mob gets involved in building a casino and everybody's on the take in some way or another. Richie wants to catch EVERYONE.  He's got ambition, and that's what gets him in too deep. It should be noted that his boss, Stoddard (Louis CK), tried to warn him with an excellent unfinished story about ice fishing in Michigan.  Every time that story is brought up, you'll probably get a good chortle out of it. 

"No, that's NOT the point of the story!"

The thing I particularly liked about the characters in American Hustle, is that each one is redeemable, if not likable in some way.    David O. Russell has really perfected the "I know what they're doing is against the law, technically, but I really like this guy" angle.

The story progresses really well, without feeling slow at any parts.  Some of the scenes are predictable, but I couldn't imagine them any differently than how they are.  For example, any time there's a love triangle in a movie, there's going to be drama and the person who was cheated on is going to go flirt with someone else at their first opportunity.  Irving's wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), does this at a party, and of course happens to fall for a member of the mob.  These things happen.   I was actually quite surprised by how little screen time Lawrence's character got.  She was used a lot in the media coverage (THE GIRL ON FIRE!), but I'm sure that was a way to get more butts in the seats.  I don't think her character warranted any more scenes, as she was brilliant when on screen.  Watching J-Law "clean" (she was wearing dish gloves and holding a cloth) while singing and dancing to Live and Let Die really made my day.  Believe the hype, that girl is a treasure.

When it all comes down to it, the dream-con-team do what they can to help the good guys and end up screwing over the FBI agent with (you guessed it!) a con!  A well thought out elaborate plan that rivals the intricacies of Irving's hair.  Everyone comes out a better person, sort of.  Things end up where you think they should if everyone were to be a little more legit.

Overall, the movie was stylistically pleasing, had an interesting story line and almost a Goodfellas vibe in the camera-work and narration. It probably goes without saying, but the acting was also fantastic. I would definitely recommend this if you enjoy smart comedies.  I don't recommend it if you're not going to pay it your full attention.  A lot of the comedic aspects come from the details, like the facial expressions, or the way the characters move and interact.   I can guarantee that I'll watch this again when it's out on netflix, because I can't remember the last time I bought a DVD.

4/5 Rating -  Must see, if only for the cast's hair and make up (which I can't believe wasn't nominated for an Oscar! COME ON ACADEMY!). 

Christmas Decor - 2013

Just three weeks until Christmas means it's time to break out the decorations! 

To some it may not look like much, but I'm only one person!

In the interest of keeping things somewhat simple, I decided to dedicate one corner to Christmas and just add a few other touches.  

Before: Just a blank corner.

After: Christmas Magic! 

Here's a rundown of what went in to the corner: 

The basic set of baubles is Silver, Blue and Purple.  This year I decided not to use the purple as a lot of my other ornaments are red and I tend to be overly particular about colour matching - to a crazy extreme... My secondary set of matching baubles are big sparkly red christmas lights.  They're very obnoxious and I love them.  I also set some glass Candy Canes throughout the tree.  The rest is made up a mishmash of Disney and random ornaments, along with a set of mini Rudolph figures: 

I want to be a dentist! 

I also set some removable wall decals in the background.  I thought the red lines and music notes would work well behind the tree.  I'm quite pleased with the result! 

As a good 90s kid, there's a number of TY Jingle Beanies in my collection.  They don't sit very well on the tree, so they end up all over the place instead - like my TV stand. 

Oh haiiiii, Santa!

Aside from the beanies, I also added the candy striped candle holders (the lanterns live there year-round) and the "noel" sign with little penguins.  The sign is also meant to be a stocking holder, but since I don't have a mantle, this'll do. 

The other touches outside the corner went to my bookshelf, on the opposite side of my living room.  I added just a few things to make it more Christmas-y.

Yay! Books!

Silver bells. Ring a Ling. 

Little Angel.

And a little snowman on the door handle for good measure.  

Hopefully tomorrow I will get the chance to decorate my office at work!

Thanks for reading!  I hope to get back to updating the blog regularly!